Massive Attack, Fontaines D.C., and Young Fathers have teamed up for a limited-edition vinyl record to raise money for Doctors Without Borders’ aid in Gaza and the West Bank. The Ceasefire EP features music from all three bands and is available for pre-order. In addition to donating all the profits to the cause, the bands have called for a ceasefire and, as Fontaines D.C. put it, “a permanent end to Israel’s brutal occupation of Palestine” as nearly 20,000 Palestinians are confirmed killed in the current phase of the Israel-Hamas war.
Massive Attack’s Robert “3D” Del naja said in a press release, “The hourly scenes of horror in Gaza, with hospitals and schools bombed to dust and innocent civilians, journalists, and doctors killed in unspeakable numbers has been made so much worse by more than ten weeks of abject political failure. We’re in awe of the Doctors Without Borders medics who place their lives on the line to help innocent civilians in Gaza. The Ceasefire EP is a tribute to them, and their incredible ongoing work in truly indescribable circumstances. We stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine.”
The 12″ vinyl includes artwork designed by Del Naja, which can also be purchased as a large signed print. The reverse sleeve of the EP features the infamous words of Doctors Without Borders medic Dr. Mahmoud Abu Nujaila, who wrote the following message on a hospital whiteboard in Gaza last month before being killed in an airstrike by Israel: “Whoever stays until the end will tell the story. We did what we could. Remember us.”
In October, dozens of high-profile musicians and entertainment celebrities signed an open letter urging President Joe Biden to call for a cease-fire in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war. Among those to call for an end to the bombing were Dua Lipa, Caroline Polachek, Michael Stipe, Run the Jewels, and Devonté Hynes.